Coheed and Cambria is back with a new album, and the band continues its journey through the Amory Wars. 2015's The Color Before the Sun took a break from the story arc, and although the music shared stylistic similarities, fans longed for more of the sci-fi narrative, written by the frontman Claudio Sanchez. The "Prologue," a serene, piano-lead number, seamlessly flows into the powerful opener, "The Dark Sentence," which proclaims, over an infectious guitar riff, "It begins with them, but ends with me, their son, Vaxis." It's a grandeur tune, 7-plus-minutes of full of epic melodies and virtuosic musicianship, which sets the tone for the rest of the 15-tracker. Check out "Toys" and "The Pavilion (A Long Way Back)," both catchy and executed to the t, or the stripped down ballad/closer "Lucky Stars." "The Gutter" shows off the the band's ability to mix its prog rock influences with accessible songwriting, and "Unheavenly Creatures" is another album highlight. Red marbled vinyl pressing, includes digital downloads.

• red marbled vinyl
• trifold jacket
• includes digital download
• music label: Roadrunner 2018

reviewed by singing in japanese 10/18